★ i've found paradise. [open event!] [incomplete]

[thebearstars]

WHO: All are invited to attend!
WHAT: The Summer Masquerade, hosted by Hokuto, to celebrate the success of the dating auction.
WHERE: Gemello Park, on the outskirts of Vescovo territory.
WHEN: Day 84.

Comments

7pm - Open

[chasing_fury]

Despite the fact that Lulu had forgotten to plan her costume until that very day, no one would have been the wiser when she arrived at the masquerade on time, and dressed in what she hoped would be something a little different from her usual attire.

An ethereal shiromaku wedding kimono graced her figure, white-on-white with a cherry-blossom motif, soft ribbons braided into her hair and trailing down the back, and her face painted white with a mask of stylized wings across her eyes which lent her a ghostly, almost angelic aura.

Gliding across the lawn like a spirit from her Okinawan folklore, she took in the ambiance, waiting to see who would come to join her--and how long it would take her beau to recognize her under so much silk.

Re: 7pm - Open

[raitei_wolf]

Syaoran stumbled a little as he made his way to a bench after talking to Luffy. He wasn't one to cry, but his body certainly wanted him to. He was just outside the door when he found a good spot to sit, and let himself almost fall to the wooden surface of the seat.

He was hunched over, head leaning over his lap so that his hair covered everything of his face. Pictures of the lab flitted across his memory, each new one appearing as he attempted to banish the old from his mind.

Re: 7pm - Open

[chasing_fury]

Standing quietly near the door, Lulu couldn't help but notice the young man who stumbled over to the adjacent bench, tilting her head in concern.

Approaching, she laid a hand on the back of the bench-as close as she dared come to reaching out to him without invading his personal space--and asked, "Is everything all right?"

[raitei_wolf]

Syaoran shook his head a little when the woman approached him and asked him a question. "I want to say 'yes,' but I don't think I'd be telling the truth." He put on a weak smile, and looked up at her.

7 pm - Open

[scimmiadigomma]

Luffy had gotten there early, with the intention of helping out. Hokuto had also helped him find an outfit. Luffy had insisted on being a pirate, because pirates were really cool and could likely sail to Sicily with ease. Dressed in pirate-formal and a Skull mask , Luffy grinned from behind the facade and watched people come in.

The masks and the costumes were fascinating and soon he found himself trying to figure out who was who and if it was anyone he was close to. Right now, he was supposed to keep out of trouble.

[raitei_wolf]

Syaoran had come early simply because he enjoyed the short conversations he'd always had with Hokuto, and found her to be very kind...and one of the few who didn't try to push too far.

Tomoyo had made his get-up for him before going away for a while (though there was a chance she would be back later that night), and for once Syaoran didn't look terribly silly. The outfit was black and silver, with gradients of the two, and striping running all around it. Some pieces were actual armor, others were just a very thick, strong fabric. His mask was much more simple, though Tomoyo had left before she got the chance to cover the left eyehole. Syaoran did the job himself...and was glad he had gloves on now to cover all of the scabs, blisters, and bandaged wounds his hands were now covered in. He knew it didn't match quite perfectly, or as well as Tomoyo could've done, but it was good enough from a distance. He wasn't wearing his eyepatch underneath, as he'd decided it looked very weird

[scimmiadigomma]

Luffy was scrambling around. Without a date, he just got to watch what everyone else did and try and steal bites from the buffet. It was actually really exciting for him, to see everyone dressed up and in disguise, all interacting the way couples do. As far as he was concerned, he was learning lots about all kinds of stuff.

Then he saw a chance to nab a little more food before someone ran him off again and he darted over to the tables, accidentally stumbling into a young man. Jostling the man's mask, Luffy looked up at him to apologize and did a double take.

"hey- you're that guy that talked to me on my journal that one time" He said, surprised by the sudden recognition.

[raitei_wolf]

Syaoran's hand darted up to cover his left eye where the mask had been, and tried not to go with his immediate reaction of kicking this idiot in the face.

"Who are you?" The mask fell to the floor, making only a small amount of noise. Syaoran was far less interested in it now than he had been a moment before. He stepped in closer to the skull-masked boy, trying to make sure that it was harder for anyone to see his full face.

7 pm - semi-open

[lacerta_ortus]

"Hey. HEY! Don't take all the goddamn gyozas for yourself, those are for everybody, asshole!" Caiman barked at one stranger loading up their plate a bit too much. After he scared him off into only taking what was appropriate, Caiman sighed, then straightened out his suit jacket.

It still felt strange, wearing formal clothes. Stranger still to be at such a fancy party.

And the strangest of all was that he was invited here on a date. With the woman who organized the whole party to begin with.

One of the few people at the party not wearing a mask - it'd look rather redundant on Caiman - he took a deep breath for the third time now, trying to get relaxed. Get confident.

And now moving away from the serving tables to go find Hokuto.

7 pm - semi-open

[thebearstars]

Hokuto was grateful for her heels as she carefully lifted the last lit lantern into one of the overhanging trees, stepping back to admire her handiwork for a moment before she relaxed. There, that was the finishing touch. Everything was as perfect as she was going to be able to manage, and if she did say so herself, it was one of her better works, this masquerade.

Hefting up the skirts of her shimmering gown, her elaborate mask in one hand, she made her way down the pavilion's stairs, with a little click click of her shoes. It took her only a moment to spot her friend, who looked a little uncomfortable in his formal clothes. With a smile, Hokuto approached him, tapping him lightly on the arm.

"You look nice," she greeted cheerfully, tilting her head slightly as she gestured around. "So, what do you think?"

[lacerta_ortus]

"Ah -" He froze up somewhat as he turned around to face Hokuto. His date.

He still couldn't wrap his head around that. Hokuto wanted to date him. Not a joke, and not a pity date either. Blew his mind.

"It's... it's real good. Makes me all on edge, but I figure that was kind of inevitable." He adds, with a nervous laugh.

[thebearstars]

If Hokuto thought there was anything out of the ordinary about asking Caiman to the masquerade with her, she didn't show it. She was an odd girl, with an odd sense of what was beautiful, but she was sincere. Her smile, when she offered it again, was reassuring.

"Well, at least you've been to a party with me before," Hokuto pointed out with a light laugh, absently fidgeting with her ornate sun mask in her hands. "So you know what to expect, right?"

7:30 PM - Open

[medico_male]

Muraki had heard about the masquerade from the moment he returned to the city, so he decided that the chance to meet people was too good to pass up. Thankfully, finding the additions to his tux to make a costume had been quite a bit easier than expected.

For a change, his hair was away from both of his eyes, exposing how unhuman the bionic right one really looked. And so his mask wouldn't sit on his face awkwardly, the doctor had opted for a contact lens instead of his customary glasses. He adjusted the bow tie on his white tux and hoped that his wings were perfectly straight. Playing up his typical angelic looks for this event had been an easy decision.

Hopefully Rhode would spot him, or he would spot her. Or maybe he'd find someone more enchanting to pass the time with.

[OOC: It's the mask on the right in that pair]

[dolcezzamacabra]

Rhode didn't find the doctor until later in the evening. Brian had gone off to do something or other, and she was wandering around rather aimlessly. Watching people move around with these swirls of color and bright displays of attire was fascinating, dizzying. The champagne probably made the spectacle even more interesting than it would be on a normal basis, but Sebastian would never be far away. She was glad he had come, despite the bit of irritation she'd shown before they'd come.

She spotted the white hair from a short distance, but took some care as she approached. It was hard to tell who was who in this masked flock of people, but once she'd edged around far enough to get a general idea of the man's face she smiled.

"Muraki?" It was more of a formality than a question- making sure she wasn't starting a converation with a stranger.

[medico_male]

He'd been idly chatting with several people, mostly mentioning his clinic and the research he had been working on before his return to Reggio. Muraki had been amused when one young man compared his beauty to the angel he was dressed as, and made a show out of getting his number. Although killing him would be risky, Muraki could simply hurt him a bit.

When he heard the familiar voice, the doctor turned around and grinned down at Rhode. Now she had a chance to see his fake, light blue eye with its vertical, snake-like pupil. "Good evening, Rhode. I decided to put a costume together after all. You look very nice." The girl had no way of knowing how fond he was of the color purple, and he told himself to stay polite. They were in public, after all.

[dolcezzamacabra]

She blushed slightly, still getting used to receiving compliments. "Thank you- You're very handsome, too!" A sip of champagne covered a moment in which she didn't know what to say, before she caught sight of his eyes.

"Ooh. So that's what a bionic eye looks like." Rhode looked like a cat who'd caught a fish from a bowl, curiosity satisfied. "That's pretty cool."

8:00 p.m. [open]

[cunningness]

There had never been a time in her life when Rikku hadn’t enjoyed parties, but masquerades had always been her favorite.

It was impossible to say exactly why; there was just something about costumes and hidden identities that intrigued her, made her want to be the best just as she wanted to be in so many other things. There always had to be a touch of glamour, the suggestion of fame and fortune that would cast a spell over the night to keep things interesting and creative and fun. Because without those, what would a party be? Even thinking about if she would lose her bet on which boy would ask her to dance first-she had usually picked Gippal, because he was always, always the first at Home, unless some other guy happened to be exceptionally quick on his feet-was worth the wait for a party like this

Re: 8:00 p.m. [open]

[scimmiadigomma]

"Cool hat" Luffy remarked, his mask grinning for him. "Is that a real sword, too?" He asked curiously. When he'd sauntered over to her side was a good question, but at least he offered her a cake.